The Young Ambassadors are a song and dance performing group from Brigham Young University (BYU). They consist of 20 performers, 10 male and 10 female, 5 live band members and a 9-person technical crew founded by Janie Thompson in 1969. Since their first international performance at the 1970 World Fair in Osaka, Japan, they have performed in over 68 countries.
Their audiences have included the prime minister of India, the queen of Thailand, and the king and queen of Jordan. Most recently the group has toured in Brazil, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Nauvoo, Illinois, China, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
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Young Ambassadors are selected through an extensive audition process. Throughout the school year, the Young Ambassadors offer local and regional performances, workshops with middle school and high school students, service projects and outreach performances.
The Young Ambassadors combine contemporary music and dance for a fast-paced showcase of American musical theatre. These talented performers offer a fresh view of America’s culture and ways of life. Artistic Director Nathan Balser stated, “This year’s show, THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC, is a celebration of the great musical hits of radio, stage and screen. The BYU Young Ambassadors present the songs by which we live our lives. Whether humming along in a car or singing aloud in the shower, the songs of radio, TV, movies, and the broadway stage have made us, in part, who we are. Presented in a fast-paced and tender-hearted musical escapade, fit for the whole family, Thank You for The Music mixes a touch of the classics by Queen, ABBA, Whitney Houston, “Guys and Dolls,” “Wicked” and “Newsies” with a touch of the new by Ed Sheeran, BTS, Disney, and more.”
President Dallin H. Oaks BYU school President in a 1978 speech said of the Young Ambassadors, “Our students were responsible, as the Psalmist said, to ‘sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land’ (Psalms 137:4). But that could only be accomplished—that beautiful feeling could only be communicated—by those who had spent many months of grueling work to bring their program to a professional level and who were then willing, unselfishly, and cheerfully, to give many, many days in the exhausting routine of performances after performance. More than that they had to work together harmoniously and live in tune with the Spirit so that they could be instruments in the hands of our Heavenly Father in communicating His Spirit.
“It made me feel good,” one attendee said. “Modest,” a woman said, and then she asked, “What does it mean to be a Mormon?” What does it mean to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?
Before a tour, group members study the language and culture of the countries they tour so they can better interact with the people in the country. From the 2nd of May to the 10th of May 2022 the group will perform in Pyeongtaek (Camp Humphreys) Gwangju, Busan, Cheongju, Seoul, Incheon, and Gapyeong.